Amare Stoudemire seems to be on the trading block. He was almost traded to the Golden State Warriors for Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and Stephen Curry this past week. The Warriors quickly changed their minds and issued a statement saying that they have no plans to trade Curry. They even flew out to see Monta Ellis just to let him know how important he is to the team and how he is the key to their success. So, don’t get your hopes up on that trade.


So, where does that leave Amare? Well, his agent had this to say, “Either he’s in or out,” Grantham said Sunday. “You’re going to have to really make a commitment to him that he’s part of your program going forward and that you’re going to work around him. Those decisions seemingly are still up in the air. They are going to have to be made at some point. You’ll have to talk about either committing to him or trading him.”


Amare basically wants an extension or to be promised that he will be traded. He just doesn’t want this lingering over the upcoming season. This should be interesting to watch as it plays out. Depending on where he goes (or if he stays), Amare could return to that huge dominant force he was during the D’Antoni days. It would have been awesome to see him play for Don Nelson but I agree with the Warriors that the price tag was too much for a rental player who will absolutely hit the free agency when his contract is up.

Shaquille O’Neal has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, a 2nd rd draft pick and some cash. What exactly does this mean? Well, for starters it means that the Cavs think that a low post force is all they needed to win a championship next year. I don’t know if Shaq is still a force but he does bring size to throw up against Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard next season.

Shaq is in the final year of his contract so he will be off the books for the 2010 free agency frenzy. The Cavs obviously want to resign LeBron James and if this deal does end up winning the Cavs a championship, LeBron might not feel the need to leave Cleveland. He has always stated that he would like to stay and play for his hometown team. But, if he feels he doesn’t have a shot at a championship with Cleveland it will be very hard for the Cavs to keep him. Read the rest of this entry »

There are a few rumors floating around about the Boston Celtics. It seems as though the C’s might be shopping Ray Allen and/or Rajon Rondo. Now, the Golden State Warriors are rumored to be interested in Rondo, and who wouldn’t? Ray Allen would most likely be a salary dump but Rondo is the future of the Celtics!!! At least that’s what everyone thought.


What would it take for the Warriors to pry Rondo away from the Celtics? Well, it would most certainly have to involve Monta Ellis. I don’t see how it could work any other way. Monta may still be angry with the way he was treated after his scooter accident and he could be on his way out the door. No player is safe when it comes to the Warriors and Don Nelson.


Rondo is exactly the player the Warriors are looking for and if the Celtics were to get Ellis, it would make it a lot easier to get rid of Allen. The only problem here is that the Celtics would then need a point guard. I don’t see how this gets pulled off unless the Warriors also include their first round pick, or maybe a swap of first round picks. The Celtics should easily be able to get a point guard with the seventh overall pick this Thursday.


Personally, I think this would be a great deal for the Warriors and could be a nice deal for the Celtics but, there is a huge chance of this blowing up in the Celtics’ faces.

I’m about to sit down and watch game one of the NBA Championship between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Now, there are plenty of questions that will be fun to see being answered during this series. Can Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol (or all three together) stop Dwight Howard from dominating the paint? Can the Magic hit the 3 when the Lakers collapse on Howard? Will Jameer Nelson play? How will the Magic stop Kobe Bryant? That answer is simple, you can’t stop Kobe but can they slow him down?

I know most people wanted to see LeBron James take on Kobe but there are so many things to watch for in this match-up that it should be a very interesting series. I’ll be honest, after seeing LeBron snub the Magic during post game handshakes, my opinion of him has soured a bit. I understand it in a way when it comes to the media but you just don’t do that to the opposing team. But, that’s a whole different story. Read the rest of this entry »

The Golden State Warriors should seriously be looking into signing Jason Kidd this off-season. He would be the perfect fit for the Warriors. He could step right in and become the floor general that the Warriors have lacked since losing Baron Davis to free agency. Kidd grew up in Alameda which is a short drive from Oakland. He went o high school (St. Joe’s) and college (Cal Berkeley) in the Bay Area. He is exactly what the Warriors need.

I know that the West is ridiculously tough to make the playoffs but Kidd would instantly make them playoff contenders. If they could use the #7 pick in the draft this year on a PG of the future, the Warriors could groom him behind Kidd and not have to worry about putting any added pressure on him. Read the rest of this entry »